Clip



F. J. MlKESlC Dec. 9, 1958 CLIP Filed March 11, 1957 Fig. 5

Frank J. Mikesic INVENTOR.

United States Patent CLIP Frank J. Mikesic, Johnstown, Pa.

Application March 11, 1957, Serial No. 645,057

Claims. (Cl. 85--11) This invention relates to an improved building construction made possible by a novel :clip used in the construction.

An object of the invention is to provide means by which a building wall corner, either at the junction with another wall or with the ceiling has a full floating angle which overcomes the pull caused by expansion and retraction of the wood studs and joists. This completely eliminates cracks attributable to expansion and contraction in a plaster wall.

A further object of the invention is to provide improvements in angle clips which are disclosed in the patents issued to John L. Dailey Nos. 2,451,811, and 2,674,914. The Dailey patents describe angle clips which have proved to be quite satisfactory. However, in the clips of the Dailey patents, the inherent elasticity of the metal from which the clips are constructed, is relied on to provide the necessary holding or gripping action between the adjacent wall surfaces of the building. Where the clip is made of welded parts the elasticity of the clip is undependable because it becomes changed during the welding operation. Where the clip is made of one piece, the inherent elasticity of the metal is less than satisfactory because for commercial production, the grade of metal used cannot be high. Accordingly, a further object of the invention is to provide ribs in the angle clip whereby reliance on the ribs is had for providing the elasticity in the clip in applying it to adjacent surfaces of a wall. More particularly, the ribs are located in a specific way so that as the clip is bent in the pushing thereof between the wall surfaces, the bending movement is opposed by the ribs as well as by the inherent elasticity of the metal of the clip.

These together with other objects and. advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a clip constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the clip shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of a clip installed in the corner of a room, the corner either being formed by an adjacent wall or an adjacent wall and sealing lath;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, and;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55' of Figure 1.

In the accompanying drawing there is a clip ll which is constructed in a manner to exemplify the principles of the invention. The clip is made of one-piece of metal, preferably fiat stock. Clip is formed with a central body 12 which is bent along a central foldline 14, the included angle between the two parts that are formed by bending along line 14 forming a dihedral angle of 102. This angularity may be varied slightly but in general is in excess of the angularity disclosed in the Dailey patents. Four arms 16, 18, 20 and 22 are spaced 90 from each other and protrude from the central body 12 of clip 10. Arms 16 and 22 are coplanar with each other while arms 18 and 20 are coplanar. Sharp and pointed ends form prongs 26, 28, and 32 at the extremities of the four arms 16, 18, 20 and 22 and are adapted to pierce and grip the composition laths 34 and 36 of a typical corner 38 in a building construction. This corner exemplifies that made with a ceiling or that made by two walls. Holes 40, 42, 44 and 46 are in arms 16, 18, 20 and 22 so that nails are easily driven through them. The lower clips, for example, the b0ttom two that are beneath the baseboard in a room, are to be nailed fast in order to eliminate cracking when nailing the baseboard to the wall. Therefore, the holes 40, 42, 44 and 46 are for-med in the clip to facilitate the nailing operation. All other clips in the wall are in stalled without nails or any other fasteners in addition to those of the clip itself.

The body 12 has two parallel edges 48 and 49 which are bisected by imaginary foldline 14. Ribs 50 and 52 are formed in body 12 parallel to edges 48 and 49. Ribs 56 and 52 rise upwardly and outwardly from the front surface of the clip and are formed by making elongated depressions in the metal of the clip. Ribs 54, 56, 58 and 60 are formed in the four arms 16, 18, 20 and 22 and are formed as continuations of ribs 50 and 52. The

rib 54 and rib 56 proceed from the ends of rib 50 and extend generally diagonally across the arms 16 and 18, terminating near the pointed ends 26 and 28 of arms 16 and 18. Ribs 58 and 60 form con'tinuations of the ends of rib 52 and extend generally diagonally across arms 24 and 22, terminating adjacent to the pointed ends 30 and 32 and of arms 20 and 22.

In use the clip is simply pushed into the space en closed by the angle made by composition laths 34 and 36. By forcing the clip inward toward the actual line of contacts of laths 34 and 36 the coplanar pairs of arms are sprung toward each other. Then When releasing pressure from the clip, the inherent elasticity of the clip augmented by the flexure of the ribs, tends to push the clip outward and this causes the pointed ends of the four arms to bight into and grip the laths 34 and 36.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A building wall corner clip for attachment to adjacent lath panels in order to connect said panels but enable them to shift slightly with respect to each other in response to expansion and contraction of the walls, said corner clip comprising an elastic metal body having a pair of parallel edges spaced from each other, said body having parts joined to include an obtuse dihedral angle, a pair of coplanar arms protruding from one side edge of one of said parts of said body, a second pair of coplanar arms protruding from the opposite side edge of the other of said parts of said body, each of said arms having a prong at the outer extremity thereof to grip the lat-h panels, and ribs extending across said body and having parts which are parallel to said parallel edges to increase the elasticity of said body.

2. A building wall corner clip for attachment to adjacent lath panels in order to connect said panels but enable them to shift slightly with respect to each other in response to expansion and contraction of the walls,

"said corner clip comprising an elastic metal body having a pair ofparallel edges spacedfrom each other, said body having parts joined to include an obtuse dihedral angle, a pair of coplanar arms protruding from one side edge "of one of saidparts ofsaid body, a second pair of coplanar arms'protruding'from'the opposite side edge of the other of saidparts'of saidbody, each of said arms "having a prong "at the outer extremity thereof to grip the lath panels,'ribs extending across said body and having parts which are parallel to said parallel edges to in crease the elasticity of said body, a rib in each of said arms and formed as continuations of said ribs in said body, and the ribs of each of said arms extending generally diagonally across said arms.

3. The clip of claimZ wherein the ribs of said arms terminate adjacent to the prongs at'the ends of arms.

4. 'The clip of claim 3 :wherein there are a plurality of "holes insaid arms by which to nail the lowermost clips to the wall.

5. In a building wall that has a pair of lath panels arranged at approximately right angles to each other, a clip for said panels, said clip comprising a central body having parts arranged to include an angle of approximately 100, pairs of arms protruding laterally from the outer sides of said body, tension increasing and strengthening ribs formed in said body and said arms and extending between and on pairs of said arms, the last mentioned pairs consisting of a single arm on one side of said body and a single arm on the opposite side of said body, and theribsiin said arms :extending generally diagonally across said arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,106,844 Ream Aug. 11, 1914 2,451,811 Dailey Oct. 9, 1948 2,674,914 Dailey Apr. 13, 1954 

